Mat



March 6, 1945 o. F. ARTHUR MAT 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 5, 194s March 6, 1945.

O. F. ARTHUR MAT Filed Aug, 3, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Marth 6, 1945. o. F. ARTHUR MAT Filed Aug. 5. 1945 3 Sheets-Shea?I 3 uw Nv WW R, n wv l W L fr Lw 8f Wt o uw. MW @w /IWI mo o 0 l K f o o O I ,L Q v/ Il:

NW MW ,pefenied Mer. e, i945 'dinventi'onrelats tov mats, and more par-v gedrang ie'inatsef wiremeshihatjare especiallyld for 'use' Vasl landing `m'atsfand kbeach aprons,

'f tsheralon from landingbarges. The mat is ilitate A transfer of vehicles, etc., from ship als intended ,foruse on swampy or sandy ground', ,ve vas rafsnpport for, vehicles and machinery, ent'sirfilxingv therel ,fas well as being suitwhieh enough*iteisfeuiiieienuy massive and strong to'supp'rt equipment of great weight suchA as tracto' tanks', 'steamshovela etc.; and to'with- ,g bombs', Vit can' nevertheless be conveniently" transported and placed in position; y

e ihr-mg? object 'of my invention is tov providey a y rnat ofthecharacter'referred to which has greaty for the'wei'ght ofthe material employed'y rein,'anjcrwhreh will not readily become so deiormed'asto'be unfit for use;` l

j 'fQn'e' 'formwhich myjinvention `may take is sho ,on the accompanying` drawings', wherein lilurel 1 is a fragmentary perspective view 4of a meti-at onecorner thereof; Fig. 2 shows amannerfin ywhich certain 'of the longitudinal mesh at a'r'earranged'; Fig. n 4 shows the manner nected Aat their A ends ;v Fi'g. v6 is a longitudinal onal lview through a portion of the ymat at one nd'theref: Fyi'gL''I/is-a fragmentary perspec-l t'irre 'view of the mat, showing a yportion `of the `connecting ymeans forjthelngitudinal and trans- .iefrs'ebands at a 'longitudinal edge of the mat;

FgfB isc/1a. 'similarview'showing certain 'of the 0f @eend-ofthe mat in completed condition,

puiieablesjappiied thereto; Fig'. 1'0 is a pere View vshowinga completed mation a ree comprises'wire meshbands'aranged `sho n y'comprisirrg-strandand I stay wires that ventofform'a mesh, as' shown forex@ my applica OFFICE Y MAT n* "oseafr F. Arthur, Beueteriienra. l

- f" V'Application Auges-f 3,194.4.; seriarne. 491mg v' .16: Claims.

(Clica-4) l'ravi'ng their ends bent backwardly around the marginal longitudinal Wires, at each edge ofthe band, as indicated at I2 in Figs. 1 and 6.y

The transversely-'extending bands are arrangedin groups wherein the bands of each group arev placed in superposed relation, as shown morev clearly at I3 in Figs. 6 and 8. The uppermost and l'owerrnost' transverse bands of each group have stifiening andanchorng plates I4 Aconnected thereto 'as'shown'more clearly in Fig. 4, the' Longitudinal bands are connected to the groups I I of transverse bands.

At the longitudinal edges of the mat, longitudinal bandsll overlie and underlie the transverse groups at I3. A single band I1 may beprovided at each edge of the mat, looped back with its ends welded together as at (1a, yor upper and lower bands can be provided instead of a single bandy I1. In any oaselongitu dinal layers will be clamped together atA points between each transverse group of bands I3, by clamping plates jI8 that are bolted or riveted to-f gether. While the wires comprising the various transverse and longitudinal bands preferably will be of. hard drawn wire or spring steel,` so that they willfnot easily becomebent in use or in handling, I pre-shape the bands somewhat by forming bends' IStherein (Fig. 3) to facilitate alignment and proper spacing of the transverse bands I3 in assemblying the mat.

`Intermediate longitudinally-extending bands 2 Il are passed over and under the groups of transverse bands I3 alternately, after the manner of a basket weave. Thus, as showny more clearly in Fig. 7, one band 2I will pass under and over the groups of transverse bands I3, successively,A while an adjacentlongitudinalA band I1 will be passed acrossfopposite faces of these transverse bands, to form the: basket Weave referred to. As shown in.Fig. 6 each band 2'I may be bent back. at its ends as indicated at 22, and welded to the adjacent'. groups ofstrands I3. These bands 2I may likewise be preformed somewhat as indicatedat 24 to facilitate positioning or alignment of the bandsv during assembly thereof.

The bands I3lare also connected to bands I'I and 2II by staples or loops 25 which are driven-or pressed;through* the layers f mesh at various points, thet ends of these ystaples being bent into parallelism and welded together as indicated at 26 in Fig. 6.

Metal boots are provided at the longitudinal edges of the mat. These boots each comprises an L shaped plate 21 whose lower leg extends under the mat, with its vertical leg welded at 28 to a top plate 29. U shaped rods 3I extend upwardly through the lower leg of the member 21 and through the layers of mesh, as Shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 8. One leg of each member 3l extends through a hole in the top plate 29. The legs are then bent into .parallelism with one another and welded to the top plate and to one another, as shown at 32. Also, the plates 21 and 29 are welded to the plates I4 at the ends of the?! upper and lower transverse bands. These welds, together with the staples, bind the bands rmly together against displacement under weight'` or and 39 welded to the mat serve as runners to fa,`

cilitate sliding of the mat along a supporting surface. i

Certain of the longitudinal bands I1 are spaced apart a sufficient distance l to permit lacing or weaving of cables 4I 'and 42 above-and below the transverse groups of bands I3. Each of these cables may be a single 'piece with its ends joined by welding in a metal sleeve 43 (-Fig. 5). At one end c-f the mat, the -cables 4I will suitably be connected to pull ropes or cables 44 and at the other end of the mat the cables 42 will be similarly connected to pull ropes 45 (Fig. l0). The cables 4I and '42 serve as a convenient means for anchoringlthe mat and also for pulling it from place to place. These cables at various points are bowed outwardly from the plane of the mat, a suflicient distance that they serve somewhat as runners to facilitate shifting of the mat and toprevent tearing of the mesh wires. Also they relieve the 1ongtlldrlal bands f pulling' stresses when'the mat is beingV towed or is stretched.

Because of the spacing between the groups of bands I3 at transverse vlines where the clamping plates I8 are located and `where each band I1 passes from the upper side of one transverse group to the lower side of the next transverse group, the mat will bend readily, thus having iiexibility, and it can be wrapped around a drum or frame 41 (Fig. 10) -for convenient transport. It can then be placed on a sled or skid 48; or wheels 'or drum disks 49 of greater diameter than the rolled mat can be bolted to the ends of the drum 41, so that themat can be transported by rolling it along the ground. Each transversefgroup of bands I3 is inelect a relatively stiff panel that will withstand great weights without permanent deformation, and .at the same time its flexible connection by the lon` gitudinal bands, with the other transverse groups, imparts to the mat as a whole a desirable ilexibil ity which renders it adaptable to uneven or nonplanular surfaces, thereby further reducing the danger of strained distortion of the mat under loads.`

Iclaim: i

l. A mat comprising transversely-extending bands of flexible material arranged in groups of superposed bands that are spaced apart longitudinally of the mat, flexible longitudinally-extending bands each of which extendsalternatelyabove and below successively arranged transverse groups and across the spaces between the groups, the longitudinal bands being spaced apart transversely of the mat and engaging that face of each group which is opposite to the face that is engaged by an adjacent longitudinal band, and means for securing the transverse and longitudinal bands in assembled relation, at the ends and edges of the mat, the said means comprising shoes partially embracing the said ends and edges, the shoes at the mat edges being spaced apart longitudinally of the mat, at points between the ysaid groups.

"`2. A mat comprising transversely-extending bands of flexible material arranged in groups of spaces between the groups, and means for secursuperposed bands that are spaced apart longitudinally of the mat, longitudinal bands of flexible 'material lying against the upper and lower faces of the said groups and bridging the spaces between the groups, shoes embracing the ends of each group and secured thereto, and cables of relatively still material looped around the ends of the mat and laced through the spaces between the groups, in each direction relative to the plane of the mat and bowed outwardly from said plane at zones between said spaces.

5. A mat comprising transversely-extending bands of flexible material arranged in groups of "superposed bands that are spaced apart longitudinally of the mat, longitudinally-extending nex-` ible bands each of which extends alternately` above 'andfbelow successively arranged transversev groups and across the spaces between the groups, va longitudinally-extending flexible band dis-V posed abovey and one below the said groups, along each edgey of the mat and bridging the spaces `between the groups, and means for securing the` last-named bands together at each edge of the mat, at points between the groups.

6.A mat comprising transversely-extending rbands, of iiexible material arranged in groups of superposed bands that are spaced apart 1ongitu dinally of the mat, longitudinally-extending ilexible vbands eachof which. extends alternately above and below successively arranged transverse groups and across the spaces between the groups, longitudinally-extending bands disposed above and 'below the said groups, along each edge of the mat and bridging the spaces between theA groups, and clamping devices securing the lastnamed bands together at points between the said groups.

."7. A mat compri-sing transversely-extending bands of mesh material, spaced apart lo'ngitulv dinally of the mat, longitudinally-extending bands of mesh material arranged in woven relation with-the transverse bands, and cables of rela.:l

.tively stil! material looped around the ends of the mat and laced through'the spaces between the transverse bands, in eachdirection relative .to the .plane of the mat and bowed outwardly yfrom said plane at 4zones between said spaces.

8'. A `mat comprising transversely-extending bands of meshl material, spaced-apart longituditudinally `of the mat, longitudinally-extending lbands of mesh materialarranged in woven rela- `v tion with the transverse bands, and cables of relatively stil! material looped around the ends t ot 'theI mat and lacedk through the spaces be- .tweenthe transverse bands, in each direction relative to the plane of the mat and bowed outf `wardly Afrom said plane at zones between said spaces, the cables being disposed between adyjacent edges of the longitudinal bands.

9,. A4 mat comprising transversely-extending bands oi' 'material that are spacedapart longitudinally of the mat, ilexible longitudinally-extendof relatively stii material extending longitu-4 dinally of the mat, the cables bowed outwardly from the-plane of themat at zones between the points where the transverse bands are spaced apart and extending toward the mid plane oi the mat at said points.

OSCAR F. ARTHUR. 

